This invention relates in general to a compressor and process of compressing, and more particularly to a rotary compressor and process of compressing compressible fluids.
Reciprocating piston compressors are well known in the art. They possess, however, inherent disadvantages of having reciprocating motion of a piston causing high stresses in certain components, vibration, noise, and limiting their rotational speeds. Due to speed limitations reciprocating compressors are relatively bulky and heavy machines. Further, they must be equipped with suction valves complicating design, lowering efficiency and causing other numerous disadvantages.
Various types of rotary compressors have been proposed to replace the reciprocating piston compressor in order to overcome some of its disadvantages, and to realize new advantages. However, such efforts have not been fully successful and the reciprocating piston compressor is in widespread use today.